|
1900
|
Original
Butter Factory
opened.
|
|
1920
|
Original
Co-op Store
purchased.
|
|
1924
|
Butter Factory
built on present site.
|
|
1944
|
Name changed to
The Bega Co-operative Society Ltd.
|
|
1949
|
Erection of new
Department Store.
|
|
1954
|
Commencement of
milk receivals, town milk deliveries and cheese manufacture.
|
|
1956
|
Commencement of
milk powder production.
|
|
1960
|
Opening of
Canberra branch.
|
|
1966
|
Implementation of
bulk milk collection
and
refrigerated farm milk vats.
|
|
1969
|
New Cheese Factory
commissioned.
|
|
1971
|
Commenced manufacture of
Kameruka
brand cheese.
|
|
1972
|
Amalgamation with
A.B.C. Cheese Society
at Tilba.
|
|
1975
|
Opening of
Queanbeyan branch.
|
|
1976
|
The Co-operative and its farmers participated in a
successful campaign
to gain access to a fair share of the
NSW market for fresh milk.
|
|
1981
|
New Farm Supply Store
opened in North Bega.
|
|
1982
|
Despatch tankers conversion
from 13,500 litre to 22,500 litre capacity completed.
|
|
1983
|
Doubled capacity
of Bega Cheese Factory.
Upgraded milk packaging
in Bega and closed Queanbeyan factory.
|
|
1984
|
Use of factory-derived
cheese starter
commenced. Department Store closed and
Arcade commenced. New
Tetra Pak
milk cartoning equipment installed.
|
|
1985
|
Redevelopment of
Canberra factory
completed. Arrangements made with large Victorian Co-operative,
Bonlac, for them to
market Bega Cheese
in states other than NSW and the ACT.
|
|
1986
|
Commenced packing milk in
2 litre plastic bottles.
Sawdust-fired boiler
commissioned.
|
|
1987
|
Bodalla Co-operative
ceased operation and the thirteen farms supplying Bodalla transferred their
supply to Bega.
|
|
1990
|
Specialty cheese production commenced, these cheeses being marketed as the
"Kameruka Selection".
|
|
1992
|
Alfomatic
cheddaring equipment and
block-forming towers
installed in the cheese factory.
|
|
1994
|
Tourist facility, recreating the original butter factory, built. Erection commenced of the
Spray-Drying Plant and Controlled Temperature Cheese Storage.
Milk processing business servicing
Cooma and the Snowy Mountains
acquired. Commenced
cheese export
to a number of countries.
|
|
1995
|
Spray-Drying Plant
commissioned. A group of East Gippsland farmers commenced supplying milk to
Bega and formed the
Green Valley Co-operative.
|
|
1996
|
The Society's fresh milk packaging and distribution activities in the South
East of NSW, including Capitol Chilled Foods, were placed in a joint venture
with Dairy Farmers Co-operative to form
Capitol Chilled Foods (Australia) Pty Ltd, 75%-owned by Dairy Farmers and 25%-owned by Bega.
|
|
1998
|
The cheese Cutting, Packaging and Processing Plant was constructed and commissioned in Ridge Street, Bega. This state-of-the-art plant services the domestic and international markets for value-added Bega Cheese consumer products.
The Cutting, Packaging and Processing Unit was officially opened in October by the Premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr.
The String Cheese plant was commissioned at Bega, and Bega Stringers launched nationally into the domestic market.
|
|
1999
|
Bega Cheese celebrated one hundred years as a dairy co-operative, 1899 – 1999. |
|
2001
|
In April 2001, the marketing function in Australia for the Bega brand was franchised to Bonland Dairies Ltd, a joint venture between Bonlac and the New Zealand Dairy Board. This arrangement saw the business of Bonlac's Melbourne cheese cutting and packaging operations transferred to Bega during 2001 / 2002.
In July of 2001, Bega Cheese commissioned its cheese shredding plant. |
|
2002
|
Work completed on the transfer of business from Bonlac, effectively increasing the throughput of the Bega plant to 40,000 metric tonnes of product per annum. Bega Cheese also commissioned its processed cheddar cheese canning line, adding this function to the growing capabilities of the Bega operations to service both domestic and international demand.
|
|
2007
|
Bega Cheese acquired a 70% stake in the Victorian-based dairy company, Tatura Milk Industries, in April 2007. Tatura Milk manufactures cream cheese, powders, infant formula and neutraceuticals. Chairman of Bega Cheese, Barry Irvin, is also Chairman of Tatura Milk Industries.
|
|
2008
|
The Bega Co-operative Society Limited changes corporate structure from a
co-operative, to become an unlisted public company, known as Bega Cheese Limited.
|
Q.
What kinds of cows supply milk for Bega Cheese?
Q.
Are the pastures irrigated?